Türkiye
Police raid suspects in 42 provinces accused of selling stolen personal data and using it for blackmail
Developing
- What happened
- Police carried out simultaneous raids in 42 provinces against people accused of stealing personal and bank data and selling it in messaging-app groups.
- Why it matters
- Investigators say the data was used for threats and blackmail and to shop with other people’s cards; 22 of the suspects are reported to be children.
- What’s next
- The number of detentions rose through the morning, from 74 to 92 by Cumhuriyet’s latest count, and searches are continuing.
How this story developed
- 07:57First report
- 08:002nd source
- 08:00Confirmed
- 08:20+3 outlets in 20 min
- 09:436th source
- 07:57First reportHabertürk
- 08:002nd sourceA Haber
- 08:00ConfirmedWas: Single source
- 08:20+3 outlets in 20 minDiken, Sözcü and NTV
- 09:43Latest6th sourceCumhuriyet
Full story
The raids
Police carried out simultaneous raids early on Friday at addresses in 42 provinces, in an operation run from Istanbul against people accused of obtaining personal data through unauthorised access and selling it, Habertürk, NTV and Diken reported. The Istanbul police cyber crime branch led the operation under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The first reports said 74 suspects had been detained. Cumhuriyet later said the number had risen to 79, and then that 92 people had been detained in 43 provinces and that proceedings had been opened against 100 people, 22 of them children. Sözcü reported 101 detentions in 43 provinces. NTV said 101 suspects had been under surveillance, 22 of whom were said to be children.
What the suspects are accused of
According to Habertürk and NTV, investigators found that personal information obtained through unauthorised access was shared and offered for sale for a fee. Diken said the stolen data included names and national identity numbers, and NTV said it was sold through groups on Telegram.
Investigators say the data was used for threats and blackmail, above all around events that had caused public outrage, and that bank and credit card details were shared and used for shopping. The suspects also posted the data to gain unauthorised access to social media and similar apps.
A Haber’s reporter Ahmet Nazif Vural said the suspects had sold access to the data through so-called panels, and that they had threatened people over the Rojin Kabaiş and Ahmet Minguzzi cases, two deaths that have been widely discussed in Turkey.
The AVCI system
The suspects were identified with AVCI, an AI-assisted application developed by the Istanbul police cyber crime branch, according to NTV and Habertürk. Police used it to examine groups on a messaging app, Diken reported.
“The AVCI system, which concentrates its strength during cyber patrols, put under surveillance the people who were trying to obtain many different people’s information, phone numbers and even much more personal information on social media.”
Ahmet Nazif Vural, A Haber(translated)
NTV said searches at the addresses and detentions were continuing.